Cranachan Recipe
For this year’s virtual Burns Night celebration, I demonstrated how to make the Scottish dessert cranachan, which is often served at the end of a Burns Night supper. This recipe is adapted to use ingredients that are easy to find for those of us in the US, but if you have access to traditional ingredients (like heather honey and double cream), by all means use those instead!
Cranachan
Makes 4 servings
½ cup (100g) steel-cut oats (aka pinhead oatmeal)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
8 ounces (250 grams) raspberries
4 tablespoons honey, plus extra for drizzling
3-4 tablespoons whisky (optional)
1½ cups (315 ml) heavy whipping cream
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Toast the oats and sugar, stirring constantly, until the oats smell rich and nutty and are just beginning to turn color, about 5 minutes. Remove the toasted oats from the skillet and allow them to cool. This step can be done a day in advance.
Set aside a few whole raspberries for garnish. Puree the remaining raspberries in a blender or food processor (or crush them with a fork). Stir in about 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of whisky (if using). Taste the puree and add more honey and/or whisky, to taste. If you prefer a smoother puree, run it through a sieve.
In a large bowl, whisk the cream until stiff peaks start to form. Fold the remaining honey, whisky (if using), and most of the oats into the whipped cream, reserving some oats for garnish. Taste the whipped cream mixture and add more honey and/or whisky as you prefer.
In a trifle dish or individual serving dishes or cups, layer the raspberry puree, then the whipped cream, and repeat to end with a whipped cream layer. Top with a sprinkle of toasted oats, the reserved whole raspberries, and a drizzle of honey.
The finished dessert can be eaten right away, or covered with plastic wrap and chilled in the fridge for an hour or two. This dish is best served the same day it is made (though personally I’ve stored leftovers in covered containers in the fridge and I think they still taste good 3 to 4 days later!).
